Obama seems to be doubling down on health care yet has no Plan-B agenda, only hyped-up rhetoric

 

Obama Doubles Down

Jennifer Rubin – 01.23.2010 – 11:33 AM

This report on Obama’s trip to Ohio is telling for several reasons.  Both the president’s rhetoric and the mainstream media’s coverage should alarm Democrats who need to figure out how to plug the leak in their political boat.

First, he seems to be doubling down on health care:

“I am not going to walk away just because it’s hard,” Obama said before a cheering crowd in a field house at Lorain County Community College.  “We’re going to keep on working to get this done with Democrats, I hope also Republicans — anyone who is willing to step up.  Because I am not going to watch more people get crushed by costs, or denied the care they need by insurance company bureaucrats, or partisan politics, or special-interest power in Washington.”

Is he serious?   One wonders if he is going to pull this at the State of the Union, leaving his own congressional allies slack-jawed.   There isn’t support there for this hooey and no one thinks that “special-interest power” is killing ObamaCare.   Voters are — in large part because of the special-interest deal-making.

Second, it is rather obvious that he has no Plan-B agenda, only hyped-up rhetoric. (”Obama offered no new programs during his prepared remarks or in answers to audience questions, but the urgency of his job-creation message was striking.”) As a practical matter this makes it hard to “pivot” to something else.

Third, his new-found populism doesn’t even sell with the mainstream media:

The president continued the combative tone he has struck with Wall Street in recent weeks.  He said about the tax he has proposed for large banks that are making huge profits and paying big bonuses just a year after being saved by government bailouts: “We want our money back.”   He did not mention that the biggest banks had paid back their bailout money, often with the government reaping a profit, although that has not been the case with the large insurer AIG or the auto companies.

It’s not a good sign if once friendly reporters are rolling their eyes and pointing out the silliness — and dishonesty — of your latest gambit.   Again, what is lacking is real substance, a coherent policy approach. Obama seems to think that the answer to a policy debacle and epic political defeat is not better policy, but a bevy of distractions and half-baked ideas.   Unfortunately for him, not even the Washington Post is buying it.

And finally, Obama’s infatuation with big government and his condescension toward average Americans know no limits.  It’s breath-taking really:

“Obama also shot back at political opponents who say that he is presiding over a massive increase in the size of government.  ‘What kind of big government are we trying to perpetrate?’ Obama asked rhetorically.  ‘People need help. We need to provide them a helping hand.’”

There is no recognition by Obama that voters are screaming for less government, don’t want statist solutions, and are capable of managing their lives by themselves if government would stop pursuing policies antithetical to job growth and economic recovery.   Obama’s retort is always the same: the voters are children, government is here to help!

For Democrats this is a bit of a horror show.   They’ve gotten thumped and the president is floundering both on the rhetoric and on the substance. Saner heads perhaps will prevail. Maybe some experienced lawmakers or outside political-triage gurus will step forward to provide guidance. If not it will be a very, very bad year for the Obami.

[Via http://cliftonchadwick.wordpress.com]